Home >Recipes >Planked Salmon with Basil-Chive Butter

Serves: 4

• 3/4 tsp sea salt, preferably gray salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 4 salmon fillets, 6 oz each, skinned
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 untreated cedar planks, each about 5 by 12 inches, soaked in water to cover for at least 12 hours
• extra-virgin olive oil for oiling the planks
• 4 tbsp basil-chive butter, at room temperature
• For the basil-chive butter:
• 4 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/8 tsp powdered ascorbic acid (vitamin C optional)
• sea salt, preferably gray salt
• 2 sticks (16 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• freshly ground pepper
• 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

For the basil-chive butter: Blanch the basil in boiling salted water just until wilted, about 10 seconds, then drain and transfer to ice water. Drain again and squeeze dry. Chop roughly. Puree the basil, ascorbic acid, salt and pepper in a food processor. If the mixture is too dry to puree, add just enough water to ease the process. Add the butter, in tbsp-sized pieces, and puree until smooth and well blended. Taste and add more salt if desired. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the chives by hand.

Refrigerate until firm enough to shape into a log. Put an 18-inch sheet of aluminum foil on your work surface. Spoon the butter down the center of the foil into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Enclose in foil and twist the ends to make a sealed log, like a Tootsie Roll. Refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 6 months.

For the fish: Preheat the broiler. In a small bowl or cup, mix the salt, pepper and dry mustard. Brush the top of the salmon fillets (not the skinned side) with the melted butter. Season both sides with the spice mixture. Put the soaked planks under the hot broiler, about 5 inches from the heat source, until the wood is browned on top, about 3 minutes. With tongs, carefully remove the planks from the oven. Immediately brush the browned surface with olive oil, and then lay the salmon fillets on the oiled surface, skinned side down. Return the planks to the broiler and cook the fish until it is done to your taste, about 6 minutes for medium. Remove the fillets to a platter or serve directly from the planks. Top each fillet with 1 tbsp of the Basil-Chive Butter.